Immediately after His victory on the cross and His resurrection, Jesus had legal authority to cast the devil into the lake of fire and to establish His kingdom on the earth. He did not do this at that time for several reasons, which we will look at briefly. In them we can perceive some of the things which must be completed before the end of this age. In Genesis 15:13-16, we see three of these reasons in relation to Israel. We know from I Corinthians 10:1-11 that this was a type of that which would come at the end of the age:

We are told in II Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." This is one of the great distinctions between the kingdom of God and the domain of the devil. The devil seeks increasing control and dominance over his subjects, while the Lord sets His people free. Everywhere that the Word of the Lord goes forth, increasing liberty will always be a result.

The next “work of the flesh,” noted in Galatians 5:20 is “disputes,” or as it is called in some translations, “strife." Like all of these works of the flesh, they overlap each other in ways, and then feed each other. Worse than that, the devil feeds on them!

Jon Amos Comenius

(1592-1671)

            Jon Amos Comenius has been listed as one of the five people to most impact the modern world. Some would argue that he should be at the top of that list. Considered the “Father of Modern Education,” Comenius was the first to effectively advocate for educating all children, not just children of the nobility. With this vision, he developed schools and a philosophy of education that gave birth to modern education.

       As we have considered, it was a great honor to be chosen as a disciple by one of the great teachers in biblical times, and yet we have been chosen by the King of kings to be His disciples. There is truly no higher calling or greater purpose. Even so, this is just the second step toward maturity in Christ. It is the laying of the foundation of our Christian life, but there is much that must be built upon it. However, the weight and height and breadth of what can be built upon it will be dependent on the quality and depth of the foundation.

            Memorial Day Weekend is more than a special and important holiday—it is a key to restoring the Republic.

If you believe the news media, the war in Iraq has been an unmitigated disaster. I disagree. In fact, I think it will prove to be one of the greatest victories for freedom and democracy since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It is also in Iraq that some of the greatest, most noble soldiers in the war for the liberation of the oppressed are now arising—the citizens of Iraq who will soon risk their lives to vote.